How do I get glass finish with metallic/pearl car paint.

Question

I have sprayed my car with primer and wet sanded it to good smooth surface, then applied the base coat now that I have sprayed on the top/clear coat it looks awful, apparently they call it "the orange peel" look which makes sense as that is what it looks like. Please if anyone has the know how please help me out.

THANX

Answer 1

yikes. my dad said to never try to refinish a car on your own because it will never look right. bring it to a detail shop. syracuse, ny has a BOCES place where the students will do it for cheap just to get the experience. kind of like the cosmetologist students that cut senior citizen's hair

Answer 2

I don't see mentioned in these answers so far that you should be putting on MANY thin layers, sanding lightly in between each one.  When you read magazines and it says 12 coats or 20, yup.   And for home jobs, keeping dust off while all those layers are drying is a hassle.  Also, check with the source of your paint.  When I bought some ordinary paint to do a school bus over, I was blind sided by being asked about the solvent/thinner, which can be fine tuned to match the temperature and humidity.  

Answer 3

take it to a cheap bodyshop! paints a nightmare unless you are skilled! iv tryed myself & its not easy to get it right..

Answer 4

what type of clear did you use?  hopefully with a hardner.  urethne or poly not lacquer.

the un-named guy is on the right track.  just use a sanding pad with the paper.

sand bak in forth, not circles.  circles will not allow the surface to be flat but follow the contours and give you low or high spots.

ash the car inbetween grit sizes.

if ou are not experienced, use finer grit (higher number) paper.  it will take longer but less chance of sanding thru.

you ill need a variable speed buffer.  start with a wool bonnet and a fine polishing compound.

finish with a foam pad and swirl mark remover.

after 30 days or so, you can wax.

Answer 5

Heres what you gotta go. Take a trip down to your supply store and pick several sheets of 1000 grit sandpaper, 1500, and 2000 grit. You are welcome to get more finer grits if you wish. You may also wish to pick up a sanding squeegee. These are usually black in color and are about 2"x4". You would wrap the sandpaper around it using it to sand so that you dont get "finger streaks" in your sanding area.

Wet sand anywhere that you wish to eliminate the orange peel. i know this sounds like a bad idea of sanding on your clear coat but this is how its done. Sand in straight lines that follow the contour of your vehicle. You will want to use lots of soapy water. And I do mean lots! If your bubbles turn the color of your base then you are screwed so go easy. After sanding in a specific area use the squeegee to dry the area faster. Once the orange peel is gone move to your next higher grit grade to eliminate the scratches previsouly done. Do this until you are happy with the look but I wouldnt stop until you use atleast the 2k grit. This will make your clear coat look dull so heres your next step.

While at the supply store pick up so rubbing compound. The employee should be able to point in the right direction of what you need if you tell him/her what you are doing. There are usually 3 grades of these also. These will bring back your original mirror finish you are looking for. The employee at the store should be able to show you which bottles to buy and what type of buffing pads to use with each one. Remember to wear old clothing as the compound will "fling" everywhere. I would use a variable speed buffer to do this so you dont "burn" through your clear coat.

Take your time doing this and DO NOT get in any hurry. This is one case where patience is key. Any other questions you can email me at [e-mail]